Free spins (definition and what they cost)
Free spins are spins played without paying the stake again. What they are worth, how they differ from free coins, and how Cashout Arcade free rounds work.
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Free spins are slot spins you play without paying the stake again. They usually come from a scatter feature inside a game, or from a promotion that gives you a number of spins at a fixed bet. Winnings from them are paid like any other win.
The word "free" describes the stake, not the value. In a well-built game, free spins are already counted in the return, so they are not a gift on top of it.
Two different things called free spins
| Type | Where it comes from | Effect on the game's return |
|---|---|---|
| Feature free spins | Triggered inside a game by scatters | Part of the game's published RTP; the base game pays less to make room for it |
| Promotional free spins | Given by the operator as a reward | Extra value to the player, usually with the same odds as paid spins |
Feature free spins can feel like a windfall, but the cost is spread across the game: if a game returns 97 percent and the feature supplies 40 of those points, the ordinary spins supply only the other 57.
How Cashout Arcade does it: free rounds
In Cashout Arcade the closest equivalent is free rounds, earned through Game Mastery. According to the published odds:
- Reaching Mastery levels 5, 15, 25 and 35 of a game awards 5, 10, 10 and 10 free rounds on that game, once each.
- A free round is worth a set amount of coins for your level on that game: 500 coins from level 5, 1,000 from level 15, 2,500 from level 25 and 5,000 from level 35.
- A free round uses the game's normal odds, costs no coins, and does not get the game's luck perks.
So the arrangement is simple: you play a round at the normal odds with no stake taken from your balance. The free round cannot change the chances.
Worked example
If a feature awards 10 free spins at a bet of 100 coins, the stake is worth 1,000 coins. On a 97 percent game, the expected winnings from those spins are 970 coins on average, and the actual result can be 0 or many times that. The value is the expected 970, not a guarantee.
Common misconceptions
- "Free spins always win something." They can pay nothing, like any spin.
- "More free spins means better odds." The average depends on the bet and RTP, not on the count.
- "Promotional free spins are risk-free money." On real-money sites they usually carry wagering conditions. Coins in Cashout Arcade have no cash value at all.
See Scatter symbol (slot definition) for what triggers features, and the Odds page for how Game Mastery rewards work.